Civil Engineering Industry Statistics

Civil engineering is a profession that deals with the engineering aspects of the planning, design, construction and maintenance of the built environment. The civil engineering industry operates in fields such as transportation systems, including railways, ports, airports, motor ways and bridges; water supply and waste systems; and urban planning.

The important functions of a civil engineer include investigating sites to determine the most suitable foundation for a proposed construction, preparing engineering calculations required for the design of projects and analyzing the risks associated with natural disasters. Governments are among the main users of the profession, although many projects are for private clients.

Key Market Segments

Geotechnical engineering is the discipline that deals with the mechanics of soil and rock. It includes the analysis, design and construction of foundations, slopes, retaining structures, roadways, tunnels, landfills and other systems that are made of or are supported by soil or rock.

Structural engineers specify the engineering requirements for and monitor the progress of an architectural project from its initial stages to completion. They usually create initial design models using in-depth mathematical and scientific knowledge, monitor construction work and meet with contractors to ensure that the designs are being followed closely.

Transport engineers plan, design and help maintain large public and private infrastructure systems. They provide technical and management support for transport projects for both government departments and private firms.

Water engineers supply the expertise for the design and operation of dams, water treatment plants, waste water treatment and water recycling schemes. They also design storm water systems that can prevent flooding.

Materials and testing engineers conduct research, development, testing and evaluation of the quality or suitability of materials and products such as asphalt, concrete, steel, cement and timber taking into account factors such as stresses and strains, estimated load, water pressures, wind resistance and temperature fluctuations related to projects.

Regional Market Shares

The global civil engineering sector is likely to grow to 2.9 trillion in the near future. Some of the largest markets for this industry mentioned below are likely to contribute to this growth.

Improving construction and infrastructure projects are creating demand for engineering professionals across the USA. The country is likely to need 250,000 more engineers over the next 10 years to work in industries such as oil and gas, aerospace and renewable energy. Civil engineers will be in great demand with more than 45,000 needed by 2023. This demand is likely to drive the US market to more than $275 billion in the near future.

Europe is recovering from economic crisis and there has been only moderate growth in construction activity in the region since 2009; however, the civil engineering sector has seen the highest of what growth there has been. Going forward, highways are expected to contribute significantly to the civil engineering sector. For instance Highways England is likely to invest £2.9 million in 2019/20. Other investments in infrastructure are also expected to drive civil industry with the UK alone spending more than £45 billion on infrastructure in the medium term.

Asia which was less severely affected by the global financial crisis than the advanced economies is experiencing strong economic growth. Asia is forecast to account for almost half of total global construction spending by 2020. Governments are likely to expand their investment in the energy, mining, rail and water sectors. All these factors are likely to contribute to the growth of civil engineering in this region.

Market Outlook

Key trends in the civil engineering industry include:

The application of wireless sensors in civil engineering is gaining importance. Structures need to be monitored continuously for safety reasons but this may be an extremely costly process. Therefore sensors embedded into structures during construction are being used to monitor and control environmental conditions and materials performance. Sensors based on micro-electromechanical and nanotechnology are used for this purpose. These sensors help in early detection of cracks and measure temperature, moisture, chloride, acidity and carbon dioxide levels. Sensor-generated information is used in critical decisions regarding the operation, maintenance, repair and replacement under financial constraints.

The reality of shrinking natural resources is leading to a trend towards sustainable practices in civil engineering. Civil engineers are now more than providers of standard designs and plans: their role is to provide designs and construction practices that are cost-effective, environment friendly and easier to maintain. They are increasingly incorporating green designs and practices using recycled materials or making project components recyclable at the end of their useful life. They are also conducting studies of traffic patterns and environmental conditions, designing energy efficient civil structures, developing engineering solutions to clean contaminated sites and identifying and developing environmental risk management strategies.

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